Sunday, June 20, 2004

Charleston, SC - Tens of thousands of Mexican citizens live in the Lowcountry, and many of them are undocumented residents. As part of its mission to help its people, the Mexican Consulate in Raliegh-Durham, North Carolina traveled to Charleston Saturday to offer Mexican citizens the opportunity to get a passport or an official Mexican identification card, which is called a matricula consular card.

With the new ID card, Mexican nationals are allowed to open bank accounts, use a public library and in some states, obtain a drivers' license. The consulate estimates it will assist nearly one thousand Mexicans this year during its annual visit to Charleston. This is the fourth year the consulate has traveled to the area.

Throughout the year, the Mexican Consulate travels to cities in the Carolinas with large Mexican populations, such as Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville.